A mother's face can show many different emotions. We, as mothers, go through many things with our children, who have been given to us by God our Father. These children give us joy and laughter. Most of the time our lives, as mothers, are not that bad. We have it pretty good and we do not even realize it.
My dear friend is going through something no mother should have to go through. Her son is in the hospital and he is very sick. He can open his eyes and look at her, although his eyes can not focus because of all of the medicine he is on. He does try to hold onto her hand when she places her hand in his. She looks forward to every tiny wiggle of his toes. She loves him!
Love is a feeling that you can not always see. Kicking is a verb you can see and laughing is a verb that is seen and heard. Love is little harder to see. Last night, while I was visiting the family at the hospital, I saw her look at her son. It was not a happy glance that you often see parents give their children. This was a look of determination, compassion, longing, needing and loving. I have never in my adult life seen a look like that upon a person's face.
Even though this mother loves her child so so much, her love can not save him. Our Father in heaven loves this little boy even more than his mother is able to love him. God has promised to save this child and already has. This little boy, of seven, is promised an ever lasting life in heaven. This promise was given to him when a little bit on water was sprinkled upon his forehead during his baptism. He was one day old and our Father in heaven already loved him. In all reality, God loved him at the beginning of time. God loved each one of us and that is why we were made by him. God loved us so much that his Son, Jesus Christ, shed his blood for payment of our sin. He loves us so much that he gives us His Holy Spirit that is poured out on us in our baptism. God loves us so much that he feeds us with the holy food of His Son's body and blood in Holy Communion.
These are the only gifts that matter. Who cares about the wii or ipods. The new clothes and jewelry are all junk. When it comes down to desperate times, sorrowful times and fear times, the gifts that our Father in heaven has given us are able to put a safety net under our feet. There is something outside of ourselves that has promised us life. The object of this faith is solid and will hold us safe even though the world is tumbling around us. God, our heavenly Father, looks down on us with love in his eyes and he shows mercy upon our sinful nature.
Kyrie Eleison
